1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a combined baler and bale wrapper apparatus for use in (1) picking-up an agricultural crop material lying on the ground, (2) forming the material into a tightly packed bale, (3) applying stretchable plastics film wrapping to the bale to form a substantially sealed enclosure of the bale, and (4) discharging the wrapped bale.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known to use balers to form tightly packed bales e.g. of grass, hay or straw, and such balers can be of a type which (1) forms bales of rectangular cross section and (2) forms cylindrical bales of circular cross section (so-called xe2x80x9croundxe2x80x9d bales or xe2x80x9cbig balesxe2x80x9d)
Balers which form cylindrical bales are usually of the xe2x80x9cfixed chamberxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cvariable chamberxe2x80x9d type, both of which will be well known to those of ordinary skill in the art and which therefore need not be described in more detail herein.
Bale wrappers are also well known, and are usually supplied with bales to be wrapped, in which the bales have been formed in a separate baler apparatus, and then deposited on the ground for subsequent pick-up and wrapping by a mobile bale wrapper. Alternatively, when a static bale wrapper is provided, it is supplied with bales by a fork-lift or other bale handling device.
Bale wrappers are (1) of the rotating turntable type, in which a bale is rotated simultaneously about its longitudinal axis (usually generally horizontal) and about an upright axis (usually generally vertical), while film is withdrawn from a static film dispenser reel in order to wrap the bale; or (2) of the xe2x80x9csatellitexe2x80x9d film dispenser reel type, in which the bale is rotated about its longitudinal axis while one or more film dispenser reel carries out orbital movement around the bale in substantially horizontal plane while film is withdrawn to apply stretched film wrapping around the bale.
The wrapping of newly mown bales of grass is being used widely to form silage (the mown grass has only been allowed to dry to a limited extent), and which avoids the problems of disposal of silage effluent with the more traditional methods of making silage in xe2x80x9cclampsxe2x80x9d or silage towers. However, up to now, it has been usual to provide two separate pieces of equipment (a baler and a bale wrapper) to carry out the two separate operations of (a) pick-up material lying on the ground and forming the bale and (b) wrapping the bale.
There have been attempts to provide a combined a baler/wrapper e.g. as disclosed in EP 0110110 (Manuli), Oiestad (782382) and Kverneland Underhaug (WO97/18699), but so far a technically and commercially viable design has not yet been developed. One believed draw-back of existing designs so far proposed is that they have been too complicated to manufacture, and operate.
The present invention has therefore been developed primarily with a view to providing a combined baling and wrapping apparatus having a unique mounting and driving arrangement to apply stretched film wrapping to a bale, after the latter has been formed by bale-forming means of the apparatus, and utilising part of the bale-forming means to rotate the bale while wrapping takes place. In particular, the unique mounting and-driving arrangement allows at least one film dispenser reel to carry out orbital movement around the bale, utilising a simple and effective structure which does not interfere with the initial operation of the apparatus in a bale-forming mode, and which is easily brought into operation to carry out bale wrapping after simplified conversion of the apparatus from the bale-forming mode to a bale-wrapping mode.
According to the invention there is provided a combined baling and wrapping apparatus for use in picking-up crop material lying on the ground, forming the material into a bale, and applying stretched film wrapping to enclose the bale, said apparatus comprising:
a frame;
a wheel-set supporting the frame;
upper and lower bale-forming means mounted on the frame and defining a bale-forming chamber;
a pick-up device mounted on the frame and operative to pick-up crop material lying on the ground, and to feed such material to the bale-forming chamber;
a housing adjustably mounted on said frame for movement between a bale-forming position and an inoperative position, said upper bale-forming means being mounted on said housing for movement therewith;
a film reel carrier mounted on the frame to rotate around the bale, said carrier extending at least partly around the bale when seen in plan view;
a guide mounted on the frame and defining an orbital path of movement from the carrier around the bale; and, at least one holder for a film dispenser reel mounted on said corner and rotatable around the bale during rotation of the carrier so that, when a bale has been formed in the chamber and the housing has been moved to the inoperative position, a dispenser reel when mounted on the carrier can apply stretch film wrapping to the bale simultaneously with rotation of the bale by the lower bale-forming means.
The invention therefore provides a simple construction of bale wrapper device, incorporated in a combined baler/bale wrapper apparatus, and which can easily be brought into operation to wrap the bale after movement of the housing (and the upper bale-forming means) to the inoperative position.
The carrier preferably takes the form of a curved frame member provided with at least one mounting point for a film reel holder. In one preferred arrangement, two mounting points are provided, which are diametrically opposed to each other with respect to the axis of rotation of the carrier.
In one embodiment, the curved frame member takes the form of a complete circle, and drive means to rotate the frame may comprise a simple friction drive e.g. drive rollers engaging the inner and/or outer face of the frame, and also defining a circular guide path for the rotational movement of the frame.
In an alternative embodiment, the curved frame may be part circular e.g. may subtend an angle of between 180xc2x0 and 270xc2x0 at the axis of rotation of the carrier, leaving an exit aperture between free ends of the curved frame so that, upon completion of a wrapping cycle, the frame can be brought to rest with the exit aperture lying in the path of discharge of the wrapped bale, so that the frame does not obstruct the discharge of the bale.
To facilitate the discharge of the wrapped bale, it is preferred that at least part of the lower bale-forming means can be adjusted as a unit between an upper bale-forming position (and also the bale rotating position), and a lowered position permitting gravity discharge of the wrapped bale.
In addition, the carrier may be adjustably mounted for movement between a lowered bale-wrapping position, and a raised position which facilitates i.e. does not obstruct discharge of the wrapped bale.
The carrier may carry one or more film- dispenser reels, and which may extend upwardly of the carrier so that the top and bottom film edges are located substantially equidistantly above and below the axis of rotation of the bale. This will be suitable when it is desired to locate the carrier below the axis of rotation of the bale.
However, if it is desired to raise the height of the carrier e.g. so that it is located at or above the level of the axis of rotation of the bale, then it will be preferable to mount downwardly extending holders for the film reels, or to arrange the reels to extend above and below the level of the carrier.
The housing can be mounted on the frame in any convenient manner, so as to be adjustable between the bale-forming position and the inoperative position. However, one preferred arrangement provides a forward transversely extending pivot mounting, whereby the housing can be pivoted upwardly and forwardly in order to take-up the inoperative position. This therefore removes the upper bale-forming means wholly out of engagement with the bale, after the latter has been formed, and so that the housing and the upper bale forming means do not interfere with the subsequent bale wrapping operation.
The forward pivot mounting may comprise laterally spaced pivot mountings, and rearwardly extending arms connecting a housing hood to the pivot mountings. With such an arrangement, a suitable drive train to operate the upper bale forming means can be routed along the arms, or extend parallel thereto, so as to take-up a drive connection with the upper bale forming means, (which in the case of preferred application of the invention to a fixed chamber type of baler), may comprise a series of drive rollers arranged on a circular arc. A separate drive train can then be routed to the cylinders of the lower bale forming means. Also, with the hood in the inoperative position, a clear field of view can be made available to the driver of the propelling vehicle, to monitor the progress of the bale wrapping stage.
The apparatus of the invention may, if required, be self-propelled. Alternatively, the apparatus may be designed to be coupled with a propelling vehicle, and therefore may have coupling means provided on the frame to allow the frame to be coupled to a propelling vehicle in order to move the apparatus over the ground.